Appearance and Character

Tommen is plump, with white blond hair.[3] He has golden curls and emerald green eyes.[4][5] At the beginning of A Song of Ice and Fire he is seven years old.

Tommen, unlike Joffrey, is regarded as a good-hearted lad who always tries his best.[6] Although tenderhearted[7] Tommen is not as strong willed as his brother, many other characters (except his mother)[5] think that he would be a much better king than Joffrey.[8] Tommen is fond of applecakes[9] and enjoys reading,[4] but is afraid of Sandor Clegane.[10] He is a clumsy dancer.[10]

History

Tommen once adopted a fawn as a pet but his elder brother, Prince Joffrey, later killed and skinned the animal.[7] It is also implied Joffrey bullies and abuses Tommen physically.[11]

Lord Eddard Stark, the new Hand of the King, discovers that Tommen and his siblings are not the biological children of Robert, but actually Cersei's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister.[15] With Robert dying from being gored by a boar, Lord Renly Baratheon suggests that Tommen and Myrcella be seized and that Arya wed Tommen. Eddard refuses, however.[16]

Tommen's older brother, Prince Joffrey, becomes king after Robert dies. Tommen is present when Eddard is arrested in the throne room.[17]

Tommen cries when Myrcella sails from King's Landing for Dorne. The riot of King's Landing breaks out after Myrcella leaves the harbor.[20]

With rioting and the War of the Five Kings making King's Landing increasingly unsafe, Queen Cersei Lannister plots to sneak Tommen out of the city to Rosby under the protection of Lord Gyles Rosby, disguised as a page. However, Tommen's uncle, Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, learns of the plot, and sends Ser Jacelyn Bywater to intercept the party on the Rosby road and take Tommen to Rosby himself, thereby under Tyrion's control and not Cersei's.[7] Tommen adopts a fawn at Rosby, and Jacelyn tasks his men with evacuating the boy to an unknown location if King's Landing falls during the war.[21]

Tyrion threatens Cersei that any harm inflicted on Alayaya, a prostitute believed to be Tyrion's lover and arrested under the queen's orders, will be visited upon Tommen as well.[22] The Kingsguard knight who allowed Jacelyn to take Tommen, Ser Boros Blount, is stripped of his white cloak by Cersei.[21]

A Storm of Swords

Acting of his own accord while the Hand of Stannis, Lord Alester Florent attempts to settle a peace agreement with Lord Tywin Lannister, Tommen's grandfather, that involves a promise of marriage between Tommen and Stannis's daughter, Princess Shireen, but his plans do not come to pass.[24]

Tommen participates in the wedding of Joffrey to Margaery Tyrell, handing the bride's cloak to his brother. The boy scatters rose petals before the king and queen after the ceremony. Tommen screams and cries when Joffrey chokes to death at his wedding feast, however.[26]

Tommen is crowned king in the aftermath of Joffrey's death, and plans are made for him to wed Margaery Tyrell in Joffrey's stead.[27] Not wanting Cersei to raise Tommen, Tywin wants Jaime, actually Tommen's biological father, to abdicate as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and educate the boy as his ward and squire at Casterly Rock. Jaime refuses, however.[27] Jaime orders Boros Blount to serve as the boy king's taster of food.[9]

Prince Oberyn Martell reminds Tyrion, who is imprisoned for Joffrey's death, that according to Dornish law Myrcella should succeed to the Iron Throne rather than her younger brother, Tommen.[28] During Tyrion's trial, Shae alleges that Tyrion killed Joffrey and planned to eventually kill Tommen.[29]

Tommen's great-uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, provides the boy king with documents to sign, including pardons, grants, and bills of attainder.[4] Tyrion kills his father Tywin, Tommen's Hand, after Jaime helps him escape from imprisonment.[30]

Cersei is Queen Regent after the death of her father, Tywin. Tommen acts as king, his primary and favorite activity being to place the royal stamp on any document put in front of him.[33] Cersei frowns upon his meek and tractable nature, frequently comparing him with disfavor to his willful, headstrong brother, Joffrey. Tommen is frightened of the dying Ser Gregor Clegane's screams,[5] and he flees in disgust from Tywin's corpse.[11] Kevan refuses to serve as Hand to Tommen and leaves for Casterly Rock since his niece will not yield Tommen's regency.[5] Ser Harys Swyft instead becomes the King's Hand.[33]

Wanting Tommen to have younger advisors, Cersei appoints Aurane Waters as master of ships on the small council.[35] When the small council receives Jon Snow's request for aid, Cersei agrees to send reinforcements in Tommen's name, but some are to be tasked with assassinating Jon.[33]

In return for Cersei allowing the Faith Militant to reform, the new High Septon—the High Sparrow—forgives the crown's debts to the Faith of the Seven and blesses King Tommen.[37] The king gives Loras a jeweled sword when the knight departs for the siege of Dragonstone.[38] When Tommen stands up to his mother and shows assertiveness when Cersei threatens Margaery, Cersei's response is to have Boros force Tommen to beat his whipping boy, Pate, till he bleeds from both cheeks.[38]

In order to claim the inheritance of Gyles Rosby, Cersei claims the late lord had wanted his land and wealth to go to Tommen.[38]

Cersei engineers Margaery's arrest by the Faith for allegedly sleeping with a number of men.[39][40] Following Cersei's own arrest for treason and adultery, Tommen continues to do the bidding of the small council, now controlled by Ser Harys Swyft and Grand MaesterPycelle. A lonely Tommen asks for his wife and his mother, and he signs any decree placed before him.[40]

A Dance with Dragons

The seneschal Ricasso toasts Tommen's name during the feast welcoming Ser Balon Swann to Sunspear, but many Dornishmen refuse to drink in the boy king's honor. Balon brings word that Cersei would like Myrcella to briefly return to King's Landing, and that Tommen could befriend Prince Trystane Martell. Later, Ellaria Sand objects to the Sand Snakes' desire for vengeance against Tywin Lannister's descendants.[42]

Tommen has dinner with the newly-released Cersei and Kevan. He entertains his great-uncle with the exploits of his kittens and Kevan thinks Tommen a sweet lad. Cersei wants Russell Merryweather to come to the capital and befriend Tommen. Following the meal, Varys has Kevan and Pycelle murdered in support of Aegon Targaryen's attempt to take the Iron Throne from Tommen.[45]

Cersei: Tommen, when you say your prayers before bed, tell the Mother and the Father that you are thankful you are still a child. Being king is hard work. I promise you, you will not like it. They peck at you like a murder of crows. Every one wants a piece of your flesh.

Tommen: Yes, Mother. I wouldn't mind them pecking, though. I should go to court with you every day, to listen. Margaery says—Cersei: —a deal too much. For half a groat I'd gladly have her tongue torn out.Tommen: Don't you say that. You leave her tongue alone. Don't you touch her. I'm the king, not you.[38]